Category: Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray was initially published in the literary magazine Lippincott’s Monthly in June 1890. Upon its release, the novel faced much criticism for its portrayal of Victorian morality and its homoerotic undertones. This resulted in the novel making little money and Wilde released a longer version the following year, in 1891. The longer adaptation contained more subtle allusions to the homosexual relationships between characters, however, opponents of the novel still used it as a source for their accusations against Wilde for being guilty of homosexual offenses. In 1895, Wilde was found guilty of these accusations and was sentenced to two years in prison, and he claims that The Picture of Dorian Gray is the primary reason behind the decline of his literary career. In this novel, Wilde designs his characters in a manner that parallels his internal conflict with sexuality and marriage. Although Wilde claims to be a social rebel who supports gender equality, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, his portrayal of the character, Lord Henry, poses a cynical and critical attitude towards marriage and the appearance of women that agrees with the beliefs of John Stuart Mill in The Subjection of Women (1869) and the ideals of the Victorian era (1837-1901), which are depicted in the British dramatization, Victoria.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry Wotton is the primary character that holds cynical views of marriage which are similar to that of John Stuart Mill. Lord Henry Wotton first states his opinion on marriage in Chapter IV, where he is telling Dorian to never get married, despite being married himself. Lord Wotton states that “men marry because they are tired; women because they are curious.” In comparison, Mill states that marriage is “the destination appointed by the society for women, the prospect they are brought up to, and the object which it is intended should be sought by all of them.” The mill is stating that society has done nothing but instruct and raise girls to be the ideal housewife. Women were expected to desire the concept of marriage because it allowed them to become mothers, rather than pursue marriage to satisfy their sexual or emotional needs. Mill attests that women were considered “bond-servant to their husbands” because she is to blindly followed their husband in all aspects, and did not worry themselves about things outside of domestic duties and caring for their children. Lord Wotton’s philosophies further support Mill’s argument, by stating that marriage makes an individual unselfish, as men tend to their household’s financial needs and women oversee the emotional needs of the children and their husband.

Lord Wotton’s opinions on marriage correspond with the ideals of the Victorian era. Victorian society was split among the two sexes because of the growing popularity of the patriarchal ideology of separate sexes. This ideology used the natural characteristics of men and women to determine their social standing. Meaning that since women were “physically weaker yet morally superior to men,” they were more useful in the domestic atmosphere. The term separate spheres meant that Victorian men and women lead different lives and only came together during meals. This can be seen in the marriage of Lord and Lady Wotton. Both parties have separate social circles; Lord Wotton attends clubs regularly, while Lady Wotton attends church. The couple often meets up in public to enjoy a meal together to keep up the appearance of a happy marriage, but the couple rarely sees each other at home. This scene validates Mill’s claim that a happy marriage depends on intellectual equality between the two sexes. Although Lord and Lady Wotton come from similar social classes, men and women received different levels of education in the Victorian era: men were taught politics and finances, while women were taught household duties such as cooking and sewing. Wilde also criticizes marriage in Chapter XV, when Lady Narborough boldly states that “married men live like bachelors.” This statement corresponds to the increasing prevalence of prostitution in Victorian Britain. Husbands were known to have various affairs with other women besides their wives, typically they could find a ‘lady of the night’ in the “red-light districts of all major cities.” Women, however, were expected to remain faithful to their husbands. Lady Narborough’s description of men parallels King Leopold’s actions in Victoria. King Leopold is known for having various affairs with actresses on who he spends his hefty allowance. Many men of high social standing committed such atrocities against their wives in an indiscreet manner. Queen Victoria was also concerned with this indecent type of behavior occurring in her soon-to-be husband Prince Albert, which resulted in Parliament and Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, constricting his spending allowance to £30,000 in 1857.

Throughout the novel, Wilde depicts women as ditzy and self-absorbed with their appearance. This can be seen in the scene where Dorian meets Lady Wotton. Dorian comments that Lady Wotton’s dress “always looked as if [it] had been designed in a rage and put on in a tempest.” Further along, he describes that “she tried to look picturesque, but only succeeded in being untidy.” A Victorian man was typically attracted to pure and innocent-looking women. Women often adorned themselves in “white muslin, typical of virginal purity, clothes many a heroine, with delicate shades of blue and pink next in popularity.” Women sought the approval of men because it determined if they would be quick to marry. This approval is yet another way that Victorian society placed women in a position that was inferior to men. Lord Wotton claims that women are “a decorative sex,” and that women who do not wear white are liable to have past lovers. Lord Wotton states women who wear mauve should never be trusted because it means she has a history and an ordinary woman adorns herself with sentimental colors, like white, to show her purity.

In contrast to Lord Wotton, Dorian Gray is fascinated with the perception of beauty and artistic intellect. When he sees Sybil Vane for the first time, he is enamored with her ability to portray the beautiful, tragic heroines of Shakespeare’s plays as well as her young, striking features. However, when Sybil Vane does a bad impersonation of Juliet, due to her infatuation with Dorian Gray, he immediately loses his feelings for her and says that she is “a third-rate actress with a pretty face.” Mill states that a clever woman of higher social rank takes great pride in dressing well, and will pass this charming quality onto her daughters. In contrast, Wilde states that a clever woman lacks the charm of weakness, which makes her ugly in the eyes of Victorian society. Victorian Women of the upper class went to great lengths to keep their appearance extremely neat and elegant. In the episode, “Foreign Bodies,” Queen Victoria’s head dresser, Nancy Skerrett, resigns in order to pursue marriage with the chef, Charles Francatelli, thus leaving the Queen without someone who can properly do her hair. Queen Victoria becomes increasingly frustrated that no one can style her hair to her satisfaction, and she becomes worried Prince Albert and everyone in her court will notice and/or comment on her appearance. This scene validates the Duchess Gladys of Monmouth’s statement that “men love with their eyes,” while women “love with their ears.”

When analyzing The Picture of Dorian Gray, many readers assume that this devilish tale is Oscar Wilde’s way of publicly rebelling against Victorian morality. However, Wilde’s portrayal of women throughout the novel shows that he agreed with the ideals of the Victorian era, shown in Victoria, and John Stuart Mill’s argument in The Subjection of Women. Although Mill’s essay is a radical notion calling for the social equality of English upper-class women, he poses his argument in a way that states the opinions of his opposers, who were wealthy Victorian men, which can be compared to Wilde’s novel. The Picture of Dorian Gray is set in the middle of the Victorian period, and the opinions of characters such as Lord Wotton and Lady Narborough reflect those opinions. Men wanted to keep women in a position that was inferior to them, while women wanted to rise out of their subservient position. Wilde uses strong male characters and some clever female characters to portray his internal struggle with rejecting the values that became popular during Queen Victoria’s reign. Through his character’s dialogue, Wilde criticizes the concept of marriage and women’s obsession with their appearance.

Famous author and playwright Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a brilliant comedic play written in 1895. The play is a comedy of manners and takes place in London and the estate in Hertfordshire. The main protagonist of the play is Jack Worthing, a leading character in the play. Jack Worthing’s conflict in the play is living a double life as both Jack and Ernest. Jack pretends to others in the play that he has a brother named Ernest, although his best friend Algernon knows him as Ernest rather than Jack. When Jack leaves the estate and goes to London for different periods of time he goes by Ernest and that’s when his double life begins. Oscar Wilde’s comedic play showcases different types of comedy making it such a diverse play. These elements incorporated benefited the storyline as it was very intriguing to the reader.

Firstly, the author incorporates romantic comedy as well as satirical comedy in the play.

For example, the portrayal of romantic comedy is through marriage. Conflicts of marriage stem from both Gwendolen Fairfax along with Cicely wanting to marry a man with the name Ernest because of their infatuation with the name and its dominance.

Jack Worthing shows interest in Gwendolen Fairfax, as well as Algernon’s infatuation with Cecily. Also, there is young love through Cicely who is young and has not yet come of age to get married, she needs the blessing of her guardian Jack. In the play Jack is having a conversation with Lady Bracknell who is the mother of Cicely, he says “I beg your pardon for interrupting you, Lady Bracknell, but this engagement is quite out of the question. I am Miss Cardew’s guardian, and she cannot marry without my consent until she comes of age. That consent I absolutely decline to give” (Wilde 48). This passage said by Jack Worthing to Lady Bracknell proves that Jack is the guardian of Cicely, so he’s in control over who and when she can marry because she also is not of age yet.

Cicely is very young and states in the play to Lady Bracknell that she is eighteen years old (Wilde 49). The reason for her asking about her age is because she was questioning why Cicely’s legal coming of age was thirty-five. Jack Worthing used Lady Bracknell’s concerns for both Alberon and Cicely’s marriage and used it to his advantage by proposing a plan to her. Jack suggests if she accepted the consent for him to marry her daughter Gwendolen, he was willing to reconsider and consent to Cicely’s marriage to her nephew Alberon (Wilde 50). Jack used his guardianship title to persuade his way to marry Gwendolen by giving her mother an ultimatum.

The reason for Lady Bracknell’s disapproval of him and why she did not accept him was due to his story of how he was found by the late Mr. Thomas Cardew in a handbag at Victoria Station (Wilde 16). Wilde’s use of satirical comedy in the play is distributed throughout the play, some parts of the scenes included sarcastic humor as a sign of criticism. In Act II both Gwendolen and Cicely sit down for tea in the garden. Cicely offers Gwendolen some sugar with her tea and Gwendolen replies “No, thank you. Sugar is not fashionable anymore” (36). This saying irritated Cicely and caused her to add many sugar cubes to her tea. Satirical comedy makes fun of society and one’s behavior in a humorous way. Therefore, this line actively demonstrates satire in the play. Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” takes place during the Victorian era when one’s social class impacted one’s behavior. Gwendolyn defining “sugar” as not being fashionable was an insult to Cicely making it seem as if she herself was not fashionable. The author incorporated satire comedy to mock society and one’s social class.

Brilliant playwright Oscar Wilde integrated dominant lead roles in his play, “The Importance of Being Earnest” to help illustrate his main message and purpose of the play. Jack Worthing who plays a protagonist in the play is living a double life as Jack and Ernest. Both Jack and Alderon are living an artificial life and trying to be someone they’re not. Their dishonesty caused conflict in the play because of the lies and deception. ( British Literature Wiki). Algernon plays a witty character by adding an amusing and witty remark, in Act I of the play Algernon says “You don’t seem to realize, that in married life three is company and two is none” (Wilde 10).

This line means that two people in a marriage isn’t enough because you’ll feel alone, in comparison to if there were three. Although this passage may show him as being arrogant because he is justifying infidelity, the remark was said in a playful way as well as other witty remarks and sayings he has in the play.

Lady Bracknell plays a leading female role to portray aspects of satirical comedy. Lady Augusta Bracknell plays a powerful role and is a prime example of an elderly upper-class woman with a high social class. Which can also explain her behavior in some of the scenes. For example, not accepting Jack as her daughter made him be seen as unworthy of Gwendolen, also looked down on him because he didn’t know who his parents were.

Her arrogance also reflected on her daughter making them a prime example of satire comedy in the play.

In conclusion, Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a fascinating comedic play that showcases different types of comedy making it unique and diverse. In this reading response, we discussed how the author has incorporated different types of comedy such as romantic comedy as well as a satirical comedy. It has done so by taking an in-depth look at the text and analyzing different techniques and terminology discussed in class and proving them with examples from the play to explain author Oscar Wilde’s uses of them in his comedic play. Overall, Oscar Wilde’s play was very diverse and intriguing play, and I would definitely recommend it.

Works Cited

1. “The Importance of Being Earnest.” British Literature Wiki, https: sites. del. edubritlitwikithe-importance-of-being-earnest.
2. Wilde, Oscar, et al. The importance of being earnest. Music for pleasure, 1954.

When I was young, I read Andersen’s fairy tales. When I grew up, I read Wilde. Oscar Wilde — the happy prince, the nightingale and the rose… As the fairy tale with the most death images, it tells you the darkness of human nature and the cruelty, lightness and romance of society. Just as Wilde once said when telling a fairy tale to his son, ‘all the truly beautiful things make people sad.’

Most of the traditional fairy tale to present a happy ending, but Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales, is a heart, tear it to you. ‘We all live in the dark,’ Wilde said, ‘but some of us look up at the stars.’ Wilde’s talent was universally acknowledged. He made his name in poetry, rose to fame in fiction, and became a sensation on the English stage with his plays. Many people think that ‘aestheticism’ is a kind of romance, a kind of feelings, a kind of yearning for beauty, while Wilde’s literature tells us that ‘aestheticism’ is to abandon fantasy, see through reality, recognize darkness and feel pain, because our hearts are born to be broken.

‘When I was young, I thought money was the most important thing in life. I’m older now, it’s true.’

In his tragic fairy tale the nightingale and the rose, the nightingale sings of love in the moonlight and trades her blood for a rose that blooms on a winter night. In the end, the nightingale fell on the grass because of the blood, fulfilling the hope of a pair of lovers’ love, so that their own death. However, rose’s blood did not change love, just because of ‘poverty’.

Wilde said, ‘life imitates art. Life is in fact a mirror, but art is real.’ Writers have the character of an artist, like a painter to describe the image of a person, and like a sculptor to shape the world. Goethe’s Werther, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Stendhal’s Julien, Maupassant’s tallow, Wilde’s Dorian gray… ‘, these characters all flow the author’s blood, have the author’s insight into the society, as well as the actual feeling of life.

The tragedy of Oscar Wilde fairy tale works behind story is homosexual or heterosexual feelings, he used language rhetoric to love almost a flashy decorate beauty, but this kind of beauty to the secular love the ultimate disillusionment and die to no avail, can achieve perfect only the love of Christ and supremacy of art. As Wilde himself said, ‘the purpose of art is not simple truth, but complex beauty.’ He presents the tragic stories of aestheticism in his unique narrative style, creating a kind of unspeakable beauty.

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.

Aesthetes are not necessarily perfect; But they are a group of people with perfect pain and happiness. They grow sensitive nerves and constantly compare themselves to other things. When it comes to perfection, they suffer from self-abasement, envy all the better forms of life, and yearn for freedom. When they look to others as a reference, they sometimes feel relieved happiness, feeling that the world is lacking；Aesthetes are innocent children. They love to fantasize, decorate their own rooms, enjoy reading classics and movies, have a good sense of humor, but are more interested in tragedy. Aesthetes want to smoke but don’t want their teeth to turn yellow, they dye their hair but don’t want to damage their hair, they go crazy and negative, but they are people who know how to save themselves, and this kind of mistake without danger does not violate the definition of perfection. Therefore, in fact, everyone has their own definition of beauty.

Wilde served time in prison, where, on April 26, 1895, he was questioned in court, ‘what is love that dare not speak its name?’ Wilde hesitated for a moment and then argued confidently: ‘… This love is beautiful, it is exquisite, it is the noblest form of love, it is not at all unnatural, it is wise, and circularly exists between the old man and the young man, as long as the old man is wise, and the young man sees all the joy, hope, and charm of his life. So much so that it ought to be, and the world cannot understand it, and the world laughs at it, and sometimes makes a mockery of it. Wilde not only endowed individual freedom with a unique connotation, but also designed a variety of ways to realize individual freedom. In the early stage, Wilde pursued pleasure and rejected pain, and the realization of individual freedom he proposed mainly included pleasure, guilt and pain. In the later period, in the extreme pain, Wilde had a new thought on life. During this period, he proposed that the realization of individual freedom was mainly love, pain and sin. In fact, the promotion of love throughout Wilde’s life, but later Wilde made a special emphasis on this factor.

I suddenly feel a boring the rules of this world, I have to live in the rules, but I gradually never to criticize those who want to pursue his real people, they cannot get or very brave in pursuing to pay a huge price, how can I stand of weakness in the moral highland up who blame? How wonderful it was to see Posey and Wilde with such a bang. The real meaning of life is to seek and find beauty. Beauty, as the justification of genius, has nothing to do with morality. Beauty needs no explanation and is not to be questioned. In this sense, Wilde is the forerunner of The Times and the martyr of beauty. Corruption is only for the vulgar design of the guidelines, genius and why should stick to the rules.

Intro

With an enduring reputation for his sharp intellect and inventiveness, Oscar Wilde is widely regarded as one of literature’s greatest icons. Through his life, defined by intellect and public scrutiny, and his creations that delight present-day readers, his heritage endures untarnished. Through a thorough analysis of Wilde’s work, this essay seeks to understand the immense effect that has been felt across various fields, including artistic expression and social commentary.

Biography

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. He hailed from a family of intellectuals; his father was a renowned eye surgeon, and his mother a poet and writer. This background cultivated in Wilde a love for learning and the arts from a young age.

His academic career involved time at Trinity College, Dublin, before moving on to Magdalen College, Oxford. At university, his cleverness, and charisma made an impact, with his flashy appearance (vest & long locks) contributing to his renown.

Educated and now residing in London, Wilde became a major force in the city’s literary and social scene towards the end of the 19th century. With his winning blend of allure and wit, social events clamored for his presence, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to witness his captivating storytelling skills unfold.

Rather than starting with his poetry, Wilde rose to prominence via his plays and essays. Humorously and sarcastically, he investigated issues such as societal conventions, ethical standards, and the multifaceted character of our species.

Famous Works

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890): This novel is arguably Wilde’s most famous work. It tells the story of Dorian Gray, a young man whose portrait ages while he remains eternally youthful due to a Faustian bargain. The novel explores themes of vanity, morality, and the consequences of a hedonistic lifestyle.
2. The Importance of Being Earnest (1895): This comedic play is a masterpiece of wit and humor. It satirizes the superficiality of Victorian society and its obsession with social status. The play’s clever wordplay and absurd situations have made it a classic of English literature.
3. De Profundis (1905): Written during Wilde’s imprisonment, this long letter to his former lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, is a deeply personal and introspective work. It reflects on Wilde’s spiritual journey, suffering, and personal growth during his incarceration.
4. The Ballad of Reading Jail (1898): This poem was written during Wilde’s imprisonment and reflects on the harsh realities of prison life and the humanity of the inmates. It is a departure from Wilde’s earlier works and showcases a more somber and reflective side of his writing.

Essays and Criticism

Wilde was not only a master of fiction but also a prolific essayist and critic. His essays, collected in volumes like “Intentions” (1891) and “The Critic as Artist” (1891), reflect his views on art, aesthetics, and the role of the artist in society. In these essays, Wilde championed the idea of “art for art’s sake,” arguing that the primary purpose of art is to create beauty and not necessarily to serve a moral or didactic function. This philosophy challenged conventional Victorian thinking about art and literature.

Wilde’s wit shines through in his essays, where he often employed paradoxes and epigrams to make his points. One of his famous aphorisms, “I can resist everything except temptation,” encapsulates his humorous yet thought-provoking approach to life’s complexities.

Short Stories

Wilde’s short stories, including “The Canterville Ghost” (1887) and “The Happy Prince” (1888), reveal his versatility as a writer. “The Canterville Ghost” is a humorous and satirical take on the traditional ghost story, where an American family moving into a haunted English mansion confronts the ghost in a wholly unexpected manner.

“The Happy Prince” is a poignant tale that combines elements of fantasy and social commentary. The story revolves around a statue of a prince and a swallow who befriends him. Through their interactions, Wilde explores themes of compassion, sacrifice, and the stark contrast between wealth and poverty.

Personal Life and Controversy

“Even though Oscar Wilde achieved literary fame, his personal life had a lot of problems and sadness. He was gay, which was against the law in Victorian England. His relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, who was called ‘Bosie,’ got him in trouble. In 1895, he was arrested and found guilty of ‘gross indecency.’

Wilde’s trial and time in prison were a big public scandal. It showed how tough life was for LGBTQ people in the 1800s.

Wilde’s trial and subsequent imprisonment were a public scandal and a stark reminder of the harsh realities faced by LGBTQ individuals in the 19th century. During his imprisonment, Wilde wrote “De Profundis,” a heartfelt letter to Bosie that also served as a profound reflection on his own life, suffering, and spiritual journey.

Legacy and Influence

Oscar Wilde had a huge impact on literature, art, and pop culture. His clever humor and smart comments about society still inspire writers, playwrights, and thinkers today. Modern authors like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett say Wilde influenced their work, especially how he mixed humor with important moral and philosophical ideas.

Wilde’s championing of individualism and his challenge to conventional norms continue to resonate in a world where the struggle for personal expression and identity is ongoing. LGBTQ activists and advocates have embraced Wilde as an important historical figure who endured persecution for his sexual orientation while boldly asserting his identity.

Through print, Wilde’s creations persistently appeal to audiences across multiple mediums. Through literature and theater, he has produced iconic characters, such as those seen in Dorian Gray and Lady Bracknell. With works such as “The Importance of Being Earnest,” theatrical performances worldwide remain captivated by the enduring comedy and shrewd social commentary they offer.

Conclusion

Throughout history, Oscar Wilde remains an illustrious writer whose works defy temporal boundaries and local limitations. With an acute understanding of the interplay between culture, creativity, and personality, he delights listeners and viewers through witty remarks and astute analyses that leave them pondering long after the performance concludes.

Despite personal struggles, Wilde remained steadfastly committed to his artistic vision throughout his life, which spanned triumph and disaster. His artistic innovations and willingness to defy societal expectations have left behind a lasting heritage commemorating the significance of creative freedom and the quest for authenticity.

Through a new examination of his oeuvre, we gain access not merely to his wit but also a deeper understanding of our shared experiences. Wilde’s legacy as a witty wordsmith has left him revered as an indomitable force for anyone looking to confront the intricate aspects of both life and art. In a world that often demands conformity, Wilde’s legacy encourages us to embrace our individuality and to find the beauty and humor in the quirks and contradictions of our existence.

Oscar Wilde was born in late 19 th century in reign of Victorian era. He was an educated and intelligent man with knowledge of French and German. He was deeply interested in the philosophy of aestheticism when he studied at Oxford. In this well known and controversial novel, author expressed himself and his philosophy. His expressions can be seen in the first two chapters.

When paying close attention we can see in the bottom of page 2 and at the start of page 3,that author is already expressing his personality and his philosophy. The most important sentence in this paragraphs is “But he suddenly started up […], as though he sought to imprison within his brain some curious dream from which he feared he might awake.” This sentence is important, because author wanted to indirectly express his sexuality. Homosexuality wasn’t accepted or understood in 19 th century and author wanted to express that in this sentence.

Another examples of this can be seen in the bottom of the page 7 where Basil talks about his fear of people revealing his secret through the painting (“I am afraid that I have shown with it the secret of my own soul.”), and on pages 8 to 10 where he tells Lord Henry about him seeing and meeting Dorian for the first time where he essentially falls in love (“Our eyes met again.” “He too felt that we were destined to know each other”). Although Basil fears to exhibit his painting, author published this novel even though he knew people will eventually find out. We can see Wildes skills in expressing himself or his thoughts indirectly on page 14 where he puts together his philosophy and his sexuality. He talks about how he expressed his feelings towards Dorian through art and if he would understand those feelings, but in more hidden meaning he also talks about his philosophy of aestheticism. What he tries to say by this is that he discovered new form of art and if the society would understand it and acknowledge it.

This brings us to Wilde describing his philosophy of beauty. We can see this throughout the whole novel, but author mostly describes beautiful and extraordinary people like Sybil Vane and Dorian Gray (“beautiful young girl, with startled eyes and faint blush.”I see him in the curves of certain lines, in the loveliness and the subtleties of certain colors.”). I think that Oscar Wilde was one of the greatest writers in history of art and that his ability to put hidden meanings or messages about society, sexuality or art philosophy made him famous. There is no doubt we learn about his masterpiece in school.

Composed in January through March of 1897 in Reading Prison, Berkshire, De Profundis is a letter of “revelation of all that is feeblest in the writer”. Written by Oscar Wilde addressing his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, or, Bosie, the title of the eighty-page letter translates from Latin to “out of the depths.” The letter describes Wilde’s account of the events leading up to his imprisonment when he was convicted to two years hard time for “gross indecency.” While the letter is tinged with hatred and regret, Wilde makes a point to assign blame for the situation and outcome not just on Bosie and his father, but on Wilde himself. Richard Ellman, Oscar Wilde biographer, notes that while on the surface the letter seems to be a bitter recognition of Bosie’s destructive influence on Wilde’s life, “the most important thing about De Profundis is that it is a love letter” (515). In addition to being an acknowledgement of his love for Bosie, Wilde’s point in De Profundis was to “restore the esteem and respect which his parents had held in public life before his humiliation” while trying to explain himself to the lover who was responsible for his incarceration. While there is no denying that Wilde’s letter is a plea to have Bosie understand the misgivings of their relationship, it is also Wilde’s own attempt to understand for himself his own part in his fall. Wilde took the opportunity to turn his misgivings into a personal exploration of what really is important to himself as an artist as well as a man, using aesthetics as a major motif to hinge most all of his advice and personal exploration on.

What is interesting about the letter is Wilde’s unwavering adherence to his aesthetic principles. The letter proves that while prison was a “time and place of anguish for Wilde… it was also a time…that provided him with an occasion on which to celebrate the symbolic relationship between himself and the art and culture to which his life belonged’.

Wilde asserted that that in order to live an aesthetic life, a person must live as though one was a living, breathing work of art. De Profundis is proof that even while surrounded by the horrors of prison Wilde insisted on living as artfully as he could. Wilde’s basic aesthetic principles were based on three ideas: that art is life, that art must be moral, ethical, and positive, and that art, similar to life, is wholly paradoxical. Though “more than half of De Profundis is taken up by his confession, not of his own sins, but Bosie’s” the letter is an example of Wilde’s aesthetic philosophy, which includes his version of a moral and ethical way of living. Oscar Wilde discovered aestheticism from his readings of the Ancient Greeks in his youth and adopted Dandyism, a way of living that “made an art of their lives, and this the Aesthetes found irresistible”. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that deals with “the beautiful as exhibited in works of art…aesthetics considered on its objective side has to investigate…a function of art in general as expressing the beautiful, and then the nature of beauty thus expr’essed”. The “cultivation of refined aesthetic tastes and the indulgence in decadent obsessions were part of a movement in which Wilde was leader” and at the center of aestheticism was a desire of “individuality and self-consciousness as both the cause and effect of art”. Wilde wrote that “it is through Art, and through Art only, that we can realise our perfection; through Art, and through Art only, that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence”. If it is art that helps the creator realize perfection, then De Profundis is that piece of art that helped Wilde discover his perfection of self-awareness, self-analysis, and self-discovery. In short, Wilde’s aesthetic principles revolve around the idea that art is created solely for its own sake, that its only duty is to bring good to the world.

It is necessary to define what Wilde meant when he used the word “art” to fully understand his philosophy concerning aesthetics. Wilde saw art as “A unique endeavor, quite independent of moral or utilitarian values and prerogatives; its specific appeal is to the artistic temperament, rather than to any other aspect of our experience; the artistic temperament is conditioned by and responds to the aesthetic sense, which is to way to a sense of beauty; beauty is communicated by for. The only further step that was taken…was to associate beauty and truth.”

Wilde and his followers thought of art as life, and life’s experience as the highest expression of beauty. Julia Prewitt Brown, author of Cosmopolitan Criticism: Oscar Wilde’s Philosophy of Art, posits that “by art, Wilde means both the work of art and the aesthetic sense or potential in each of us. By life—which often appears in close proximity to the word art—Wilde means the ongoing experiences that constitute existence”. Both definitions define art in relation to life, because, to Wilde, one could not live artistically without perceiving the beauty around them. The crux of his argument in De Profundis tends to hinge on the fact that Bosie not only ruined Wilde’s life personally and professionally but also aesthetically. This is what Wilde perceived after contemplating the lack of beauty in his life caused by Bosie. Wilde writes that he “blames himself for allowing an unintellectual friendship, a friendship whose primary aim was not the creating and contemplation of beautiful things, to entirely dominate my life”. From the outset, he uses art as a means to convey to Bosie that it is his lover’s lack of aesthetic principles that ruined Wilde. He goes on to address Bosie, summarizing his faults: “You must see now that your incapacity of being alone: your nature so exigent in its persistent claim on the attention and time of other: your lack of any power of sustained intellectual concentration: the unfortunate accident—for I like to think it was no more—that you had not yet been able to acquire the “Oxford temper” in intellectual manners, never, I mean, been one who could play gracefully with ideas but had arrived at violence of opinion merely—that all these things, combined with the fact that your desires and interests were in Life not in Art, were as destructive to your own progress in culture as they were to my work as an artist? When I compare my friendship with you to my friendship with such still younger men as John Gray and Pierre Louys I feel ashamed. My real life, my higher life was with them and such as they.”

Plato presumed that “poetical limitations are ruinous to the understanding…the knowledge of their true nature is the only antidote to them”.

Wilde realizes, using art and his artistic existence, that Bosie’s lack of aesthetic value and his “poetical limitations” as well as his less than satisfactory intellectual vigor caused Wilde’s downfall. This knowledge is the antidote to his misery, as knowing is the first step to fixing the problem. The problem that Wilde realizes is Bosie’s presence in his life. While Wilde acknowledges that Bosie was preoccupied with only life and not art, he uses De Profundis to show that life is not whole without the presence of art. Bosie is his proof of this theory.

Wilde viewed life as art’s student. Without art, life would not be as informed, as whole, or as beautiful. This “mimetic-expressive, pedagogical relation is the germ of the theory of reception by which Wilde resolves the main contradiction of aestheticism—that is, the paradoxical separation yet interdependence of art and life”. In other words, Wilde’s aesthetic theory dictates that art and existence are inseparable, in that art is the essence of life itself. This is evident in De Profundis as Wilde, the man who views himself as a living, moving piece of art attempts to reform the person who, in his opinion, is without aesthetic principles that would make Bosie “good” in Wilde’s eyes. In fact, in Wilde’s perfect world, life would imitate art, or, Bose would imitate Wilde in his aesthetic and moral values, Wilde considering himself a living work of art and therefore “life’s teacher.”

A chief idea behind Wilde’s philosophy of aesthetics was the idea that everything in life should be beautiful, and that by comparison, everything that is beautiful should be good. To Wilde, to be good meant to live in the present, which applies to the spontaneity of Wilde’s life. The job of aesthetics is to “discuss such topics as the relation of art to nature and life, the distinction of art from nature, the relation of natural and artistic beauty, the conditions and nature of beauty in a work of art, and especially the distinction of beauty from truth, from utility, and from moral goodness”. A major component to Wilde’s philosophy of aesthetics was the idea of blending morality and artistic quality into a perfect piece of art. Influenced by Kierkegaard, Wilde believed that “the aesthete is unable to escape the ethical basis of life because he cannot transcend time except purely in his imagination”. If life is art, then life must be ethical in order to be beautiful. The aesthete cannot control time and changes in one’s life, therefore the only way to be free of any ethical responsibility is in one’s works of artistic output. But to Wilde, life is art. If art is considered to be morality and life bound as one, then it can be understood that art is everything, as life is the sum of all of our experiences. The approach that Wilde takes when addressing the ruin that is his life can be viewed as positive, as throughout the letter Wilde blames himself for allowing the ugliness to penetrate his life, learning from his experience with Bosie. Wilde assumes blame for the ruin that has become his life in addition to Bosie’s guilt by noting that “while you were with me you were the absolute ruin of my Art, and in allowing you to stand persistently between Art and myself I give myself shame and blame in the fullest degree”. Wilde realizes that if he were to place blame for his downfall solely on Bosie, he would not learn and gain insight from his experience. And, blaming Bosie solely for his destruction would not be artistic, as outward bitterness would not be considered artistic in his view of aesthetic qualities as being bitter is an ugly trait. Plato observes that “few persons ever reflect, as I should imagine, that from the evil of other men something of evil is communicated to themselves”. Wilde knew that the “evil” of Bosie’s lack of aesthetic principles had transferred to himself, and he knew that in order to uphold the air of aestheticism that he was so well known for he to needed to be culpable for his downfall.

Wilde also believed that life is paradoxical in its nature and that everything, including artistic output, can be seen as a puzzle to human behavior. Influenced by Nietzche, Wilde saw art “not as a signpost to something else—it is that something else… Wilde bespeaks a philosophy of ethical aestheticism that does not point elsewhere but always back to its own paradoxical truths”. His “philosophy of beauty was never quite sincere. He did not write for Philistines with his heart in his mouth, but merely with his tongue in his cheek”.

If life is paradoxical, and life is art, then art too is paradoxical. If art is paradoxical, then is there one way to interpret art? Wilde did not think so, as his definition of aestheticism depends not only on beauty but on perception and there is no one “right way” of seeing things. There is a personal element to the perception of things, so while Wilde agreed that there is no one right way to view and interpret art, every interpretation is and can be right. Therefore, art is a puzzle that cannot be concretely “solved,” in the conventional sense. One way Wilde achieved this moral and paradoxical effect is by writing aphorisms, which “retain a decidedly moral reflection” (Brown 35). By presenting puzzles which teach moral code to the reader, Wilde “subtly turns the vocabulary of English moral and social criticism against itself, allowing its latent contradictions to emerge; and in doing, he brings about a transformation from within” (Brown 35). An example of this paradoxical nature in De Profundis is Wilde’s approach to the insults that he presents to Bosie’s actions and self. The insults are paradoxical as while Wilde blames himself for much of their relationship problems, he also uses them to place blame on Bosie. Who the reader sides with is based on the individual perception of the reader. Wilde realizes that if Bosie were really living an artistic life, he would be able to understand the paradoxical nature of Wilde admitting his own responsibility for his downfall while realizing that what Wilde is really doing is blaming Bosie. But at some points, Wilde drops the blame off himself and places the fault solely on Bosie’s shoulders in order to make his lover understand just what his artless life has done to him. Wilde shares with Bosie that his “insistence on a life of reckless profusion:your incessant demands for money: your claim that all your pleasures should be paid for me whether I was with you or not: brought me after some time into serious monetary difficulties, and what made the extravagances to me at any rate so monotonously uninteresting, as your persistent grasp on my life grew stronger and stronger, was that the money was really spent on little more than the pleasures of eating, drinking, and the like. Now and then it is a joy to have one’s table red with wine and roses, but you outstripped all taste and temperance. You demanded without grace and received without thanks.”

Wilde acknowledges the paradox of living an aesthetic life, as living a beautiful life is to indulge in life’s finer offerings, but the aesthete runs the risk of becoming lax. It is interesting to note that many Wildean critics see Wilde’s sincerity in De Profundis as “merely an aesthetic pose…De Profundis signals not the end, but the elaboration in new directions of Wildean self-fashioning” (Doylen 565.) So is his sincerity in Bosie’s blame just an attempt to further his aesthetic principles? It is also amusing to note that Bosie had no idea the letter was addressed to him until a 1913 trial in which excerpts were read to him. Even the intended recipient of the letter was confused as to whom the letter was addressed to and what it was trying to convey. The approach Wilde uses to address Bosie is demonstrably paradoxical. The flip-flop between placing blame on himself and blame solely on Bosie proves to be paradoxical, as one tries to figure out who really should take the condemnation. Who really is to “blame” for Wilde’s imprisonment? This is a puzzle for both the reader and for Bosie to figure out, but Wilde knows that Bosie will never understand this because of his lack of aesthetic principle.

Another example of the paradoxical nature of art and life can be seen in the binaries that Wilde consistently sets up for Bosie in De Profundis. Even Wilde and Bosie themselves can be seen as opposites—Wilde being good and moral and artistically sound while Bosie is bad and amoral and suffers from a lack of aesthetic principles. Wilde tells Bosie that “like myself, you have had a terrible tragedy in your life, though one of an entirely opposite character to mine. Do you want to learn what it was? It was this. In you Hate was always stronger than Love…Love is fed by the imagination, by which we become wiser than we know, better than we feel, nobler than we are…only what is fine and finely conceived can feed Love. But anything will feed Hate.”

Using the love versus hate binary exemplifies Wilde’s point that the concepts of Love and Hate (capitalized, signifying importance) are essential to the paradoxical nature of life.

No one person can fully understand the motives behind Love and Hate, thus presenting a puzzle. If life is art, life is made up of Love and Hate, and life is paradoxical in nature, then art too is paradoxical. Wilde uses artistic language to portray this. It is as if Wilde knows that the puzzle will never be solved, so he makes a point to use beauty in his writing to at least make his points beautiful. Brown states that “when Wilde writes that ‘it is through Art, and Art only, that we can realise our perfection; through Art, and through Art only, that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence’ he uses art to mean both the work we see…and the aesthetic capacity in each of us”. Again, Wilde is presenting a paradox as De Profundis proves that he believes that Bosie has no aesthetic capacity but he believes that all men are capable of good, including Bosie. If he believes that every man has goodness in him, he states many times that Bosie does not, hence complicating life as art. It is believed that “the artist must hold no brief for either good or evil, and that the excellence of a work descends entirely upon the skill of presentation”. Wilde has presented yet another puzzle, as by identifying himself as somewhat evil for putting himself in his situation he does not how any favoritism toward good and bad. He uses the beauty of his writing to demonstrate the paradoxical nature of art as well as life.

It is very difficult to fully understand what is really being said to Bosie in De Profundis. What the reader can see is Wilde’s devotion to his theory of art and that even in the most horrible conditions that surrounded him he still yearned to send art into the world. De Profundis “ranks as a major piece of nineteenth-century autobiography” but also is an example of artistic and aesthetic theory in real life conditions. But because of his desire for beauty, Wilde would not see his life as a tragedy, as “Oscar was no tragedian. He was the superb comedian of his century, one to whom misfortune, disgrace, imprisonment were external and traumatic. His gaiety of soul was invulnerable”. He would want everything associated with him to be seen as absolute and pure beauty. Perhaps Wilde would want his critics to simply remember when examining his time in prison that “beauty is truth, truth beauty/that is all ye know on earth/and all ye need to know”. If anything, De Profundis is a work of pure beauty and should be treated as the ultimate truth in Wilde’s assessment of his situation. It is up to the reader to discern that truth.

Of the many instances of conflict in Oscar Wilde’s decadent play Salomé, it would at first appear that the conflict between Salomé and her mother, Herodias, is downplayed, if not entirely absent from the play’s primary sources of tension.

However, considering the play’s many differences (i.e. clashes) between cultures, customs, and the ever-present tension between traditional Victorian values and the encroaching principles of aestheticism, the subtle tension between mother and daughter, and their particular expressions of willfulness, is equally significant to understanding the shifting paradigms in Victorian England. Salomé stands out as a play deeply rooted in seemingly irreconcilable differences. This level of conflict is introduced immediately, as we see the characters are all defined in terms of their many ethnic and religious backgrounds: polytheists (pagans), Syrians, Jews, Cappadocians, Romans, Nubians, and one staunch Christian vie for prominence and proclaim their various worldviews on the stage.

This inevitably stirs up heated moments, most notably among the many subsets of Jews and their slightly different beliefs, and between the boundless sensuality found in Herod’s Palace and the extreme asceticism of Jokanaan. Moreover, these moments of intense dispute feed into the heterogeneity among individuals in the play and reflect a similar lack of consensus in Victorian England. It is on this stage of competing worldviews where we find Salomé, the pinnacle of sensuality, and Herodias, whose constant pragmatism in such a symbolic play adds a dimension of humor. On the surface, the relationship between these two is amicable. Herodias consistently chastises Herod for lusting after her own daughter, rather than censuring Salomé for any perceived impertinence, and she even defends Salomé’s actual impertinence when denying Herod his petty wishes. She even delights in her daughter’s willfulness: laughingly, she jibes to Herod, “You see how she obeys you”. Later, as Herod tries to renege his deal with Salomé, Herodias heckles him, reminding him, “Yes, you have sworn an oath. Everybody heard you. You swore it before everybody” and that Herod is ridiculous for suggesting peacocks are a worthy substitute for Jokanaan’s head. Many of these instances of willfulness are met with Herod’s ineffective rebuke, which serves to remind the audience that Herodias is a source of power and influence—a powerful, influential worldview, that is. Furthermore, the nature of Herodias’ willful speech against her husband is at its core another facet of her pragmatism. To Herodias, Herod’s supplications to Salomé are every bit as ridiculous as the concept of the Moon being like a drunken woman or believing in prophets. Salomé, on the other hand, presents a noticeably different style of willfulness throughout the play. Unlike her mother, Salomé goes out of her way to espouse a more sensual, manipulative worldview, which we can see during her solicitations to Jokanaan, the Young Syrian, and Herod. When she is informed that she is forbidden to see Jokanaan, she implores to the Young Syrian, “Thou wilt do this thing for me” and that she will gaze upon him if he does, until he eventually succumbs to her seduction and relents. Once she is granted access to Jokanaan, she wastes no time in characterizing his body as an ever-morphing thing of grotesque beauty. His body is at once “white like the lilies of a field that the mower hath never mowed” and “like a plastered wall where vipers have crawled” (208); regardless of whether he is a forbidden delight or a loathsome creature, he is subject to her sensual characterization of his body. As with the Young Syrian, Salomé is likewise manipulative in her interactions with Herod, using his obsession with her beauty to ensure the execution of Jokanaan, who rejected her. Unlike Herodias, whose influence is based on a more or less objective worldview, Salomé embraces her sensual nature in order to manipulate the desires of others for her own benefit. On the surface it would appear that mother and daughter have formed a unique coalition against the improper advances of Herod. It is only on closer inspection that these two present two distinct types of worldviews, which lends them distinctive styles of rebellion and willfulness.

Salomé creates the realities of those around her, specifically that of Jokanaan’s body, and allows this reality to be shaped by mercurial whims; Herodias accepts her version of reality based on superficial observation and enforces it with pragmatic correction. Furthermore, through their willfulness, both can be seen as representing the major conflict (and, perhaps, reconciliation) between traditional Victorian values and Wilde’s version of aestheticism. One subtle but telling example is that Salomé never addresses Herodias, despite Herodias’ many attempts to address Salomé. Mother and daughter simply do not exchange conversation during the play. The fact that they merely talk around each other suggests that there may be no reconciliation between their two worldviews—that utilitarian Victorian values of pragmatism and an unrelenting view of reality cannot usefully complement an aesthetic worldview, in which the subjective piquing of the senses overrules (or defies) a consensus of Truth. On the other hand, the shared goal of subverting Herod’s authority suggests that, while the opposed worldviews may not usually be complementary, they may coexist and share similar agendas. At the very least, they may not always be diametrically opposed.

As Salomé illustrates, the nature of aestheticism is to be subjective, to enjoy and produce social change, and to unabashedly stimulate the senses. Traditional Victorian values, as espoused by Herodias, may generally appear to be a constant competitor in the arena of worldviews, but as the willful intentions and subtle conflict between Salomé and Herodias suggest, it may be more the case that Wilde perceives these as complementary rather than competitive.

Introduction and Background Information on the Era

Background

In what ways is Victorian ideology imposed upon in The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde? As an era construed by the rule of Monarch, Victoria over England from the mid-1800s in the romantic ages to the early 1900s, the Victorian period was a interval of considerable progress. However, many societal echelons within the era caused countless problems for its people. Rigorous rules and guidelines were set on behalf of authoritative figures and accepted by the European people. The cathedral and many other members of authority set a goal looking to establish a case of fairness and legitimacy, proposing that these rules comply with this society. A positive side-effect of such industrialization had allowed for societal developments working as a framework for a regularly propelling population. New thoughts and ideas in the sciences and language as it increased the teachings of researchers and artisans likewise.

Themes of Decadence and Aestheticismicle

Dual viewpoints that the author thoroughly discloses throughout the novel are the concepts of decadence and Aestheticismicle. Both philosophies of decadence and Aestheticismicle are complimentary towards one another since they can be utilized correspondingly. The term, “Decadence” is used to describe a moral or social decay as exhibited by over the top liberality, in joy or extravagance. The term associates itself towards prizing artificial excellence over natural magnificence; as a result[footnoteRef:1]. Similarly, the term “kAestheticismicle” can be outlined by the simple [1: Huszar, George De. “Nietzsche’s Theory of Decadence and the Transvaluation of All Values.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 6, no. 3, 1945, p. 259., doi:10.2307/2707290.]

motto, “art for the sake of art”[footnoteRef:2], referring to shallow exquisiteness being seen as crucial to a particular piece of art rather than the theme or more profound meaning that the craft holds[footnoteRef:3]. Wilde showcases these theories in his narrative through refuting any overall moral purpose to craftsmanship and extolling a routine of luxuriousness and pleasure. [2: “Art for the Sake of Art – Modern Art Terms and Concepts.” The Art Story, Modern Art Insight, www.theartstory.org/definition-art-for-art.htm.] [3: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Aestheticism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/art/Aestheticism.][bookmark: _Toc534117203][bookmark: _Toc534118247][bookmark: _Toc534118396][bookmark: _Toc534118469]Aim

The research question exploited for this paper is deserving for this essay, as it would empower a more profound comprehension of the novel than a necessary scholarly investigation would accomplish. A piece of writing is neither composed nor acquired in a void of nothingness, therefore, understanding the circumstances in which the author formed his work will enable his audience to comprehend his inspirations additionally. Furthermore, the reader can recognize a more rational judgement for his narrative in this revolutionary period. Oscar Wilde epitomizes the theory of decadence and Aestheticismiclein the book, through praising debauchery any disregarding any noble aspiration to art. As a result, Wilde manages to impose the principles of Victorian ideology.

Main Body: Ethics

Wilde’s Lack of Usage of Morality and Ethics

Wilde’s works in all of his pieces of writing including The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray disregards any ethical or effective tenacity when compared to other sections of writing in his era. He manages to discontinue most, if not all principles of his period when it concerns ethics. He feels that these develop no alteration to his work nor any piece of his art. Wilde first manages to do this by telling the reader that any part of art should be prioritized to being judged through shallow features. Wilde proves through inaugurating, “there’s is noo sucha thing as a moral or an immoral book” (Wilde 3). Through this quote, the writer looks to warn the reader in the sense that they should not view his narrative to be seen in a way that ‘disregards morality’ because of its taboo subject matter. Wilde contrastingly intends for his audience to gain an understanding or appreciation for the concealed lure and beauty of the content in the book. The late kRobert kBoyle, a critical litterateur of his time once claimed, ‘morality is of interest only as subject matter; ethics should not constrict his [an artist’s] scope, nor does he concern himself with encouraging or discouraging moral behaviour. The work of art is useless; it finds its goal within itself’ (Drumovadfdf 5)[footnoteRef:4]. To summarize, litterateur Oscar Wilde is not seen to give light to morality regardless of its presentation. The writer does not wish to associate his work with the strict principles of society due to the severe setbacks it can bring to his craftsmanship. Wilde tends to bring light to the corrupt nature of his work as he writes, “art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril” (Wilde 4). In his writing, Wilde therefore [4: Birch, T., 1772, The Works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Thomas Birch, (ed.), 6 vols. (London, 1772; reprinted Hildesheim: George Olms, 1966), a reprinting of the five-volume 1744 edition.]

ensures the public that he intends for this narrative to be read with a manner of open-mindedness. The author justifies to the reader that the ideas and philosophies existing in his narrative will be critical or decisive due to the choices of the characters presented. He also certifies that he is in no means attending to a political schema within the narrative. A journalist of the name, Carolyn Burdett also makes claims in a newspaper editorial regarding the philosophies of decadence and Aestheticismicle. She declares how normal Victorian society views literature and the arts as a window dedicated to self-improvement or how it is viewed as a “spur” for worthy pieces of art.[footnoteRef:5] Oscar Wilde contrastingly supposes that his craftsmanship will merely turn into another propaganda piece if it follows Carolyn’s ideology. The author does prove that he writes the novel with an intent to spread a message. This is mainly manifested when as he writes of an exchange between two individuals in the book. When there is an exchange between LordookdkdkkHenri and Basil, Henri KWotton articulates, ‘ beauty varnishes where’s an intellectualical expressions begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration and destroys the harmony of any face” (Wilde 6). This quotation proves that Wilde intends for the reader to understand that making any coherent breakdown of an artistic piece can in-turn make that piece lose any of its significance in an instance. Building a more in-depth analysis of a craft can make that piece forget its universal magnificence, which is something that Wilde wishes the reader does not do. On the contrary, he wants for the reader to admire the superficial beauty of his craft. Wilde’s narrative is an eccentric novel amid its first couple of pages. [5: Burdett, Carolyn. “Aestheticism and Decadence.” The British Library, The British Library, 17 Feb. 2014,www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/Aestheticismicle-and-decadence.] [bookmark: _Toc534117206][bookmark: _Toc534118249][bookmark: _Toc534118399][bookmark: _Toc534118472]Wilde’s Interpretation on Ethics and its Relationship With Art

Oscar Wilde speaks about the characters in his work and claims their interpretation shows that ‘ the compass of ethics and the compass of art are separate and distinct.’ The novelist expresses this in a letter he wrote of a magazine[footnoteRef:6]. Wilde addresses that his novel contains no ethical drive. He also proclaims the idea that there can’t be any ethics behind artistry because the justifiable craft is solely divergent from morality. Throughout the novel, he embodies this philosophy through exhibiting ethicality and attractiveness. Dorian Gray, the antagonist exemplifies this through a continuously being described as charming and cheerful in the narrative disregarding his moral deterioration. Dorian’s facial features as described are very “gentle” and “harmless.’ The author conveys that looks aren’t everything as he goes on about how one’s appearance can be deceptive and may not disclose their true personality. This is an idea that not many Victorian readers were familiar with as they lived in a period of “literature [abounded] with expressions of faith in physiognomy” (kDrumovak 7)[footnoteRef:7]. This belief also affiliates with the idea that a person’s physical characteristics (especially their facial features) are competent in illuminating their real personality. The author combats this thought to convey that one’s ethics and facial features should not be associated with each other. Another character, an actress, Sybil Vane also nurtures this philosophy on impartiality concerning one’s attractiveness and personality. When she is met with Dorian Gray as an actress, both Sybil and Dorian love each other. However, Sybil’s acting, as a result, begins to lack of substance. Wilde tells the reader that the reasoning behind this is because when she started to fall for Dorian, she went from ensuing acting to following regular female-like virtue. Dorian Gray states, ‘she acted poorly because she had known the reality of love. When she knew its unreality, she died, as Juliet might’ (kWildek 106). The passing of the actress and thus her removal ensues of virtue. Wilde exhibits the idea that Sybil could have never existed in both the sides of morals and craft. These are two philosophies which in Wilde’s perspective, cannot fundamentally concur. [6: Benson, Peter. “Wilde and Morality (Issue 65).” Philosophy Now: a Magazine of Ideas, 2008, philosophynow.org/issues/65/Wilde-and-Morality.] [7:Ellis, Havelock. “The Contemporary Science Series .” Full Text of ‘Passing’, London: F. Warne; New York: Scribner, Welford, and Armstrong, 1772, archive.org/stream/physiognomyexpre00mantuoft/physiognomyexpre00mantuoft_djvu.txt.] [bookmark: _Toc534117207][bookmark: _Toc534118250][bookmark: _Toc534118400][bookmark: _Toc534118473]Ethics and the Universe

The strict Victorian principles in association with morals are established with countless conventional classic pieces of art when an individual character’s qualities or immoralities control one’s future fortune. Oscar Wilde faces this notion in The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray when he uses irony (situational). Basil, for instance, a character who moreover stays ethical throughout the narrative manages to meet a cruel conclusion to his story at the end of the book. Once Basil recognizes a rotten defaced portrait he crafted of Dorian Gray, he sees this inconvenience as a medium of “universal justice” (kWildek 151). As a result, Dorian refutes such a chastisement, so he rushes towards Basil and stabs him. Undeservingly, Basil manages to meet his violent and graphic death despite staying temperate and generous for the course of the book. He has a belief that a more vicious power will chastise Dorian for his wrongdoings. Dorian Gray nevertheless believes his immoralities will not control the consequence of his eventual fate for a simple painting, Dorian Gray ceases to face the consequences of actions by others but only himself. Two other personalities in the narrative which also come to face an unfortunate passing despite their righteousness are kJamesk and kSybilk. kJameskVane is a character living a strict, principled kVictorian lifestyle full of morality which decrees that he ensures security for the protection of his sister at all times. James shows this as he states: “there is a God in heaven, if [Dorian] ever does you any wrong, I shall kill him” (kWildek67). Following this in the narrative, kSybilk does meet kDorian’s wrath as he does her harm causing her to kill herself. kSybil comes to undergo this fate despite being one of the most harmless people in the novelist’s narrative. As vowed, kJames attempts to go on to murder kDorian. However, he does not succeed in doing so indicating that kWilde’sk heaven has no God. Additionally, James meets his eventual death as he is gruesomely shot 9being mistaken for game. Fortune only seems to favour the unethical Dorian Gray as the world seems to bring a gruesome fate to anyone who wishes to harm his character. This further proves that morality has no course to kDorian’s ultimate fate. Oscar Wilde exhibits this ideology with means to convince readers that obeying any ethical convention to meet a complementary result during a lifetime is idiotic and completely impractical. In its cynical perspective of the universe, The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray rejects any ethical reasoning to artistry and also to the world.

Main Body: Debauchery

Wilde’s Use of Debauchery

Oscar Wilde is also capable of praising a life of intemperate debauchery through antagonizing a harsh principled Victorian environment. Oscar Wilde institutes debauchery which parades a life of seeking excitement to denounce the various forms of self-restraint. One of the more obnoxious characters of the novel, Henri KWotton ascertains this philosophy toward Dorian Gray as he advises him: ‘Don’t squander the gold of your days … Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing . . . A new Hedonism…It is what our century wants’ (Wilde 24-25). KWotton sees no advantage in interacting with the individuals he sees as ‘below’ him. As a pessimistic individual, Henri KWotton thinks that society does not sustain to an ethical agenda. Consequently, Henri condemns the action of compromising his enjoyment to attend to other people. The author, therefore, uncovers the act regarding asceticism as ‘discourteous”, because the philosophy “deadens the senses” (Wilde 21). Wilde perceives the act of tolerance as a gateway to purify a person rather than a way to demoralize them. Dealing with the self-temperate Victorian society, the author demeans their ideologies resulting in a piece of craft ahead of its period.

Debauchery of the Victorian Era

As The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray promotes the hedonism, Oscar Wilde presents Dorian Gray pondering himself of mischievousness. Gray is outlined to have a corrupted mind in the Victorian environment due to his care-free actions. He shows this through the anti-gay dogma presented in the narrative. As Basil is wary of Gray’s unethical values, he indicates, ‘why is your friendship so fatal to young men?’ (144). Resulting in disbelief and sickening response from the Victorian reciters, Basil blames Dorian Gray for alluring males into implausible relationships. Journalist Roger Lockhurst also articulates that the novel and its unbelievably divisive content had criticizers classify the narrative as filled with ‘esoteric prurience’ and ‘leprous.’ Similarly, Wilde associates his story with narcotics abuse as he writes Dorian as a character to treat himself to this activity. Dorian does this in hopes to cure himself with drug-use through attending to ‘opium-dens.’ He claims that these will help him to clear himself of ‘old sins’ that are ‘destroyed by the madness of sins that were new’ (Wilde 176). The author utilizes colourful imagery with means to exhibit Dorian Gray’s plunging into madness. Dorian does this through chasing substances which are banned in society. Oscar Wilde was one who did not view his work to be ‘unethical’ since he understood unveiling such a way of life does not necessarily make his work seem like propaganda, although many irritated Victorian readers might have thought otherwise. Wilde intended his work to be a canvas to express a story of which, taking a more thorough analysis would be at the readers’ expense. Solitarily, philosopher kRobert Boylek was seen as the few criticizers of his period to endorse Wilde’s work claiming, ‘critics of Wilde’s novel, suffer from seeing their savage faces reflected in the artist’s creation ‘ (kkkkkDrumova 4)[footnoteRef:8]. Despite the intense subject matter present in his narrative regarding narcotics abuse and sexuality, The author still upholds his belief that a work of fiction must not meet the same constraints that were present during the period. [8: Birch, T., 1772, The Works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Thomas Birch, (ed.), 6 vols. (London, 1772; reprinted Hildesheim: George Olms, 1966), a reprinting of the five-volume 1744 edition.]

The Debauchery and Greed of Henri KWotton

Unsurprisingly, amongst Oscar Wilde’s contemporary debauchery, there is also a presence of severe greediness, an attribute which is present for countless instances in the narrative. During a discussion regarding Gray’s engagement, Lord Henri explains that “the real drawback to marriage is that it makes one unselfish. And unselfish people are colourless. They lack individuality” (kkWildek 72). Lord Henri, a figure of selfishness throughout the novel views altruism like a contrasting element to his otherwise esthetic life. The author takes Henri’s belief up an extra step when Wilde describes that the connoisseur would practise new debauchery at the expense of others. Dorian Gray gets word of this insight very late, while he discusses, “you would sacrifice anybody, [Henri], for the sake of an epigram” (Wilde 195). Due to Lord Henri’s spoiled nature, Dorian is described to fall under Henri’s influence as he alters from an undamaging soul to a manipulative and narcissistic person. Through remaining mindful of his immorality and damaging views, Henri seems to purposefully spread his ideas to an innocent being like Dorian, to give light to his universal viewpoint. Lord Henri pursues his Ideology by manipulating the likes of Dorian and turning an innocent boy into ‘gag.’ Lord Henri enunciates, “one could never pay too high a price for any sensation” (Wilde 56), claiming that this ‘price’ can also be the life of a soul like Dorian. Wilde continues to disgust the readers of his theories through conjoining the philosophies of Aestheticismicle along evil and menacing traces of egotism.

Henri’s Influence of Debauchery on Dorian Gray

As a result, Dorian Gray just like Lord Henri destroys the lives off of other people with the means of enhancing his lifestyle. This theory is presented in his relationship with actress, Sibyl Vane. Dorian feels a downright egotistical love towards Sibyl which is evident when he ridicules her for one poor acting performance. “You have killed my love. You used to stir my imagination. Now you don’t even stir my curiosity… without your art you are nothing” (Wilde 85). The selfish individual views his romantic affiliation through Sibyl like a picturesque play, which it isn’t. As Dorian sees how Sibyl is beyond her acting abilities, he is described as displeased of her as the lust Dorian once held, has now disappeared. When Dorian meets Hetty Merton and starts liking her, and he kills Sybil in the pretext of her failing to his expectations. Dorian is of the opinion that he is helping Hetty by not corrupting her as he has done with others: “we were to have gone away together this morning at dawn. Suddenly I was determined to leave her as flower-like as I had found her” (Wilde 201). When Lord Henri sees Dorian’s genuine intentions, he interferes with Dorian suggesting to Dorian that ridding himself of Hetty was seen as a ‘unique’ decision rather than a selfish one. Dorian had intentions of ‘making a scene’ as if it’s a game to him to act as the ‘gallant hero.’ Henri, as usual, is contemptuous to think Dorian’s pride and narcissism is the cause of Dorian leaving Hetty, while he has no enduring virtuousness to save Hetty out of his heart. As a result, Lord Henri glorifies hedonism when he fails to discipline his protégé for his negatively impactful actions. Henri is aware that he is a narcissist himself giving him no right to scold Dorian. Therefore, through the glorification of debauchery and its lifestyle to minimalize justification and ethics, the author challenges Victorian philosophies.

Debauchery: Thoughts on the Corrupt Lifestyle

In light of its unfortunate ending, many criticizers think The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray does not represent a glowing testimonial for a corrupt way of living. However, it is instead an advising narrative based on the threats of hedonism. When Dorian Gray finally confronts his sinful nature as he realizes the sickening deeds he has done for a hedonistic lifestyle Wilde claims, “He loathed his beauty … It was his beauty that had ruined him…His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery’ (Wilde 210). Dorian’s shallow minority and attractiveness compromise him no support as he realizes the real burden of his behaviour, proving that the aesthetic purpose his lifestyle followed was useless. Additionally, he is determined to rid himself of such a depraved life thoroughly, in hopes of beginning a new life in which he had aspirations of being a better person than what he turns out to be. Dorian performs many vows towards God (someone he didn’t believe in up until this point). He claims he feels apologetic for his foolish acts of crime thus believing in the faith of the Victorian people.

Conclusion

The Novel as a Whole: Wilde’s Way of Imposing Victorian Ideals

Nevertheless, The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray’s conclusion mistakes Wilde’s intention of insisting for a puritan plan the whole time; Wilde in short, merely establishes that everything is in fair balance. Whereas Lord Henri is aware of appreciating the splendour he confronts throughout his life, Gray pursuits these same splendours while disregarding formality. Dorian attempts to understand each sensation while simultaneously consuming all the magnificence in the universe. Mitsuharu Matsuoka also writes in his essay, “Dorian is ultimately…choking on his New Hedonism,” (Matsuoka 78)[footnoteRef:9]. Similar to the Opium den addicts, Dorian Gray cultivates defiance against ordinary beauty until he is no longer satisfied by it. Dorian hopes to dive further into the darkness, where to his threat, he uncovers the crooked and felonious. Dorian depicts one outing at the opium den, ‘The twisted limbs, the gaping mouths, the staring lustreless eyes, fascinated him. He knew in what strange heavens they were suffering’ (Wilde 179). Dorian describing the grubby London can be illustrated like a colourful painting, using descriptive language with desire, drama and visual positioning among the overindulged men. The author also uses vivid imagery to portray a distorted beauty among the atrocious unpleasantness in the situation, since ordinary exquisiteness does not appeal to Dorian. [9: Matsuoka, Mitsuharu “Aestheticism and Social Anxiety in the Pictures’s of Dorian Gray.’Journal of Aesthetic Education 2003.] [bookmark: _Toc534117216][bookmark: _Toc534118259][bookmark: _Toc534118409][bookmark: _Toc534118482] Wilde’s Belief

Under some circumstances, Oscar Wilde foretells a serious fault within his theory during the first get-together of Lord Henri and Dorian Gray. Henri KWotton desires for Dorian to value his attractiveness as he states, “someday, when passion [has] branded your lips… you will feel [regret]” (Wilde 24). Accurate towards the Lord’s expectation, the young boy abandoned and ‘branded’ his way of life that he follows. Concurrently, Lord Henri has faith in his conspiracy theory yet, he is left undamaged. Where chasing exquisiteness keeps Lord Henri pessimistic, it manages to push Dorian to insanity. [bookmark: _Toc534117217][bookmark: _Toc534118260][bookmark: _Toc534118410][bookmark: _Toc534118483]Conclusion

In what ways is Victorian Ideology Imposed upon in The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray? Oscar Wilde and his narrative composed in the late 1800s, The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray, recurrently bestows philosophies which openly impose the Victorian agenda of the period. Wilde constantly seems to contest the idea that craft contains an ethical resolve to it. It also praises a way of life consisting of leniency and debauchery, clearly undermining the Victorian obsession of morality, integrity, and self-restraint. Therefore, with this theory of debauchery and Aestheticismicle in the story, the author offers a viewpoint with ethical values which questions the philosophies of Victorian culture. In modern days, The Pictures’ of Dorian Gray may be considered to be another old generic narrative, though, throughout its publication, the novel served as a considerably above purpose among the Victorian dogma. Oscar Wilde’s story organized a revolt on craft and of the freedom of speech, though one of these was met with dangerous but revolutionary controversial ideas. Wilde as a novelist created a guide for his equals to craft beautiful artistic works, tethered due to the firm and strict principles of the Victorian rule.

Works Cited

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2. Benson, Peter. “Wilde and Morality (Issue 65).” Philosophy Now: a Magazine of Ideas, 2008, philosophynow.org/issues/65/Wilde-and-Morality.
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